A prior electrical connector employing strain relief in combination with an IDC terminal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,106. This known invention relates to a housing of insulating material adapted to accommodate an electrical terminal, and includes a strain relief member adapted to be crimped into engagement around the wire terminated to the terminal. More particularly, the strain relief member consists of a pair of vertical walls formed on the housing which are crimped inwardly and downwardly for mechanically gripping the outer insulation jacket of the wire. This known invention has the advantage of being able to terminate a wire to an IDC contact while at the same time providing strain relief; however, in order for the electrical connector to perform its strain relief function, the vertical housing walls must be crimped inwardly to engage the wire insulation.
A second electrical connector employing strain relief is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,482. This reference discloses a bent electrical contact which engages a bare conductor on the wire to be terminated. The electrical contact imparts a spring pressure to the conductor thereby holding the conductor in place within the housing. However, this invention has a disadvantage in that when the connector is reduced in size, the connector terminal is also reduced in size, thereby decreasing the spring force exerted by the terminal on the wire conductor and necessarily reducing the frictional retention forces generated by the contact spring force. This mitigates against reduced terminal connector applications for the connector since inadvertent disconnection of the conductor from the connector terminal can occur.
Another electrical connector including strain relief is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,523. The electrical device disclosed therein has an entry hole through which a wire may be passed. This electrical device has a serrated corner positioned opposite to the entry hole, and a flexible finger near the entry hole. A wire inserted in the entry hole is locked between the finger and the serrated corner. This known device also provides a means to make electrical interconnections while at the same time providing strain relief to the terminated wire; however, the strain relief finger is molded monolithically with the housing, the finger requires a high degree of material in order to have sufficient retaining characteristics, and requires a void space for its flexure motion.